Quick Homemade Cocoa Frosting

I was very randomly in the mood for cupcakes one week. My husband offered to get me some cupcakes from "that store". I'm not sure what he meant, maybe he didn't either, because there are so many. I said "no, I want the homemade kind". Meaning plain yellow cake mix with basic chocolate frosting.

However, as I ordered my supplies, Fresh Direct didn't have a very good frosting selection. I didn't feel like going to the grocery store for a single item, so I ordered Hersey's cocoa powder to make my own. I could do without the corn syrup/processed variety anyhow. I'm definitely no baker, but I can handle a mixer for a few minutes, so I thought I'd give it a try.

So there I was with all the ingredients, except heavy cream. I rarely even have milk on hand. We pretty much always have a small container of fat-free sour cream around, so I decided to throw that in the mix instead. Heavy cream, sour cream... pretty much the same thing, right? Not really, but it came out nice!

My only problem in the end was what to do with 24 cupcakes.
(Solution: refrigerate the frosting and freeze naked cupcakes in small groups wrapped in plastic and foil.)

Quick Homemade Cocoa Frosting

adapted from Cathy Lowe's recipe on FoodNetwork.com

3 C confectioner's powdered sugar

3/4 C unsweetened baking cocoa powder

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

4 T fat-free sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

I found this to be a messy process, so you'll need to find an area of the kitchen that's easy to clean after spatters and powders fly. Turns out I'm not that good controlling the mixer. A little frosting on the ceiling never hurt anybody.

Combine sugar and cocoa in a small bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, soften butter.  Add about a cup of the sugar-cocoa mix and 1 T sour cream to the butter, and begin to beat with an electric mixer on low. Repeat the adding, and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until all has been incorporated. Add vanilla and beat on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Let set for 15 minutes before using.

This frosting tastes just like cocoa at first. But, the next day it tastes even more chocolatey as the flavors meld.